Updated: 100 Cycling Climbs Better Than Alpe d’Huez

Excuse my snarky title, but I believe many cyclo-tourists do themselves a huge disservice by prioritising Alpe d’Huez above many far, far more interesting roads. So in an effort to convince people to consider cycling somewhere else —– here is my list of 100 better options.

EDIT October 2018: I have added several additional climbs since this post was first published in 2016. In particular, I’ve added quite a few Austrian climbs.

Criteria:

Only paved roads.

Only roads that I have cycled – ie. My list only has French, Swiss, Italian, and Austrian mountains.

A summit counts only once. Although clearly, for example, all three sides of Stelvio, both sides of Gavia, at least two sides of Ventoux, etc. are much more fun than Alpe d’Huez. So this list is really far more than 100 climbs.

For me a good climb is a combination of challenging, high, quiet, and beautiful (eg. mountains, hairpins, cliffs, alpine lakes, etc).

Feel free to disagree with some climbs on my list, but yes, I excluded a bunch of other roads that should have, at least arguably, made the cut. For maps, photos and trip reports for any of the below climbs, click on the links below or put the name into the search bar at top right of page.

Kaunertal – In Tyrol Austria, the Kaunertaler Gletscherpanoramastraße is the 5th highest paved road in the Alps (2750 metres)! It was built in 1980 as a ski station road. Amazingly, it’s kept open 12 months a year.

Lago di Narèt – Hidden in the Italian part of the Swiss Alps, this tough, quiet, long climb has several beautiful dams/lakes. I called this the best climb NOT in either of Daniel Friebe’s great Mountain Higher(er) series.

La Grand Dixence – At the summit is one of the biggest dams in the entire world (3rd?) – one of many fun Swiss Valais rides to alpine dams.

Lago di Teleccio – A fantastic little known climb to a high alpine dam in Piemonte, Italy. It’s a steep (I do mean steep!), narrow little road that starts next to the beginning of the road to the legendary Colle del Nivolet.

Road to Lago di Teleccio

Rettenbachgletscher – This beast of an Austria climb is super high and super steep. I have never seen so many 13% signs in my life.

Col d’Izoard – The land of Coppi and Bobet. 2 sublime sides, the south includes the legendary Casse Deserte.

Col du Mont Cenis – On the French/Italian border. Yet again, it’s the Italian side that is far more interesting and challenging. There is also a quiet, tiny, little known third way up via Moncenisio. Don’t forget the lesser known extension on a terrific little road to Col du Petit Mont Cenis.

Petit Mont Cenis

Lac du Mont Cenis

Hannibal Monument

Passo San Marco – Passo San Marco was a revelation for me. 26.5 kms and 1740 metres vertical ascent. Gigantic. It starts far lower than most big climbs so its summit altitude can mislead one into thinking this Italian climb is not huge.

Croix de Cœur – The last few kilometres only recently paved. The climb includes the road to Verbier but its 6 best kilometres are above the village (bring a mountain bike and you can go much higher too).

Col du Tourmalet – Not quite the best, but the best known climb in the Pyrenées. Although the mountain bike ride above Tourmalet to Pic du Midi (see link) is a dream.

Tourmalet

Croix de Coeur

Kitzbuheler Horn – This is easily the steepest 10 kilometre stretch of paved road I have ever cycled. Ouch. Remember to take the tiny extension above where the pros finish.
It goes to the very summit of this monster.

Col de Portet – It was gravel when I climbed it, but was paved in 2018 for the Tour de France. So I have added this fun climb above Pla d’Adet to the list. A 100 metres higher than Tourmalet.

Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse – Bielerhöhe – You know a road will be good when it has its own official web site. And if you’re a fan of this blog you know that many of my favourite rides are up to high alpine dams/lakes … this ride has two.

Silvretta has #29 Hairpins. Take that Alpe d’Huez!

La Plagne– Like Alpe d’Huez, there are 21 signed hairpins to this French ski station. But La Plagne is quite a bit higher and an awful lot quieter.

Col des Champs – The best loop in the South French Alps: Champs, Cayolle, Allos. 120 kilometres, 3 big climbs, no traffic.

Courchevel Airport – At the end of the road above the famous French ski station, the signs in Russian help explain where richest skiers are from.

Plateau de Beille – This Pyrenéen climb shares almost identical stats to Alpe d’Huez. But the route is far, far, less developed and busy.

Pas de la Bau (Route des Crêtes) – One of my favourite rides ever was through the Gorges du Verdon. A double loop with several cols. The interior loop climbs a mountain overlooking the gorges on a road called the Route des Crêtes. Great.

Route des Crêtes on far side of the gorge

Lac de Tseuzier – Start climbing through the vineyards and eventually end at another high Valais dam/lake.

Tunnel to Tseuzier dam

Colombiere in winter

Aubisque

Col de l’Arpettaz – North of Albertville, the west side has almost too many hairpins to count.

Torri di Fraele – Sometimes called little Stelvio. Very fun paved hairpins to a couple of medieval towers. But if you bring wider tires, higher up begins an crazy unpaved adventure that eventually reaches the real Stelvio

View from I Torri di Fraele

Lac de l’Hongrin – Make sure the road is open before visiting on a week day as the top stretch passes through a Swiss Military base

Col de Tramassel – In the Pyrenées, this is basically the road to Hautacam, but continuing higher until the paved road ends.

Chalet de l’Ebaudiaz – Almost a kilometre longer than Alpe d’Huez, this unknown French Alps road also has almost double the hairpins (39?).

EDIT: OK, after adding a few climbs I have reached more than 100 climbs better than Alpe d’Huez.

#101 Finally! Alpe d’Huez (and above)

Lac Besson – A few kilometres above Alpe d’Huez. Because if you are going to climb Alpe d’Huez, don’t stop at the town, keep going to the end of the paved road.

(and whatever you do, don’t stop at the line painted on the road at the entrance of town, by the restaurants and Trek store like 75% of tourists. At least struggle through town to the official Tour de France finish – it’s signed).

Lac Besson – above Alpe d’Huez

Once I have put a little more thought into this list, I will likely rename it: My 100 Favourite Road Bike Climbs.

Note, this is by no means a complete list of climbs in the Alps. See here for a fairly comlete list of climbs that I have cycled.

AS ALWAYS, I AM GRATEFUL FOR SUGGESTIONS OF GREAT CLIMBS MISSING FROM THIS LIST.

From those 30 something on that list that I have ridden I only disagree with your recommendation of the Ventoux. I consider that one is also much overhyped. But maybe I have done it too often as a tour guide. I would rather climb to the Alpe (and descend via the Sarenne :-)) on a quiet and preferably colder day than the Ventoux from Bédoin or Malaucène. But as you say those preferences are highly subjective.

Ventoux in June starting in the dark and arriving at the summit at sunrise might be a fascinating ride though.

I would like to add one Col which I think is really missing on your list. The Col de Parquetout.

Thx for comment. Yes, Simplon is beautiful. My “complaint” is that it can be a bit of a fast, main road, and one of those few high passes that has a fair bit of truck traffic. I know a part of this can be avoided by taking a side road, but it never seemed that fun with all the tunnels/avalanche protectors, plus the traffic.

Excellent list. I’ll give you 102 Selvino north of Bergamo. About eighteen hairpins and 12 kms from Nembro. Nice to see Lac de Hongrin included. That’s a tough one. Lots of 14% sections going up the Corbeyrier side (from Aigle). Thanks for this enjoyed reading it.

Nice list, but I think you need to get yourself to Austria because you’re missing some big ones… Grossglockner (Edelweisspizte), Timmelsjoch, Jaufenpass, Zillertaler Hoehnstrasse to name a few of my favourites

Here’s my advice: the paved road ends at 1835 metres altitude a couple of kms above Notre Dame du Pré, but if you bring thicker tires it is a truly amazing ride up much higher to just above 2400 metres and Col du Jovet. Details here:

What a great site you have! I love cycling in the mountains too and you give me great ideas for cycling trips 🙂 One of my favorite climb is missing in your list. Maybe it’s one of the few you haven’t cycled yet 😉 Port de Pailhères from Usson Les Bains, quiet, tough climb with wonderful hairpins and stunning views at the end. I loved it!

Excellent list! I would add Grosse Oscheniksee http://www.salite.ch/oscheniksee.asp?Mappa=, a monster in the alps, and probably the “perfect climb”. It is a private road that takes you to a little lake at 2400m altitude through about 42 hairpins and absolutely beautiful panorama above 2000m. According to salite.ch it is one of the hardest climbs in Europe, although I found it quite enjoyable due to the constant gradient. And the road is closed to cars. Much better than Grossglockner. Also my favorites in the region Friuli Venezia Giulia and probably in the alps: Monte Crostis and Panoramica delle Vette http://www.salite.ch/crostis.asp?Mappa=, and Monte Mangart http://www.salite.ch/9412.asp?Mappa= in the Italian-Slovenian border. Happy climbing!

Great stuff, thanks for that. Yes, I keep meaning to update this list. I’ve done a few of those you suggest: La Berarde, , Madone, Finestre (I was avoiding unpaved), Echelle, Lac du Moiry was on list,, San Bernardino, but thanks for some great ideas! The Alps is a big place 🙂

I’m happy to see I’ve ridden many of these climbs, but some to be added to the list for sure. So glad you have included the little known Col de l’Arpettaz, with its 42 hairpins (from Ugine) and fantastic views across to Mont Blanc on the descent down towards Flumet. It’s one of my favourite local rides when the legs are feeling good. We took some British cyclists up there on a trip recently and they said it was harder than the Tourmalet, and couldn’t believe they hadn’t heard of it before. Definitely one of the highlights of the holiday for them. Would love to see it featured at the Tour de France one day!!

Hi Ian, Colle delle Finestre is unpaved for the top 8 kilometres. This list is only paved climbs. I may do a favourite gravel list, but if I added Finestre, I’dd add 100 climbs people have never heard of. my goal was to keep this list accessible to road cyclists (I know, many road cyclists ride Finestre but …).